In My Daughter's Eyes
by melbelle310
Summary: A post-war story of the next generation. I know it's not the best summary, but read the now completed story anyway! Please?
1. The Name

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Avatar.

Aang crept into the room. The fire in the fireplace was just dying down. His wife Katara lay on her bed, sound asleep. They were expecting a baby girl. He slipped into bed beside her.

"Goodnight, Katara," he whispered, and he fell asleep.

The morning sun woke him. He got up and got dressed. Katara was already in the kitchen when he got there.

"Why don't you go sit down, and I'll finish making breakfast." She curled up on the cozy couch, facing the fireplace. He finished cooking and curled up next to her, handing her a plate. He shot a bolt of fire and lit the fireplace. It was nice, sitting with her on these cold mornings in the Southern Air Temple. Sokka was visiting Suki on Kyoshi Island, and Toph was home, explaining everything to her worried parents.

They ate their breakfast in silence, enjoying each other's company. Finally, Aang broke the silence.

"What should we name our daughter?" he asked. They hadn't touched on the subject since Katara became pregnant.

"I don't know. She'll be so important, as the Avatar's daughter," she whispered, suddenly worried. She couldn't meet his eyes. He lifted her chin; their eyes met. He kissed her gently.

"Don't worry; we'll decide on something," he whispered to her.


	2. In My Daughter's Eyes

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Avatar or In My Daughter's Eyes by Martina McBride.

Katara looked down at her little girl, her little Kya, asleep in her bed. Kya started to wake up. Even after seven years, seeing her little girl wake up amazed Katara and made her smile. Kya was the only known cloudbender in the whole world. She bent air, like her father, and water, like her mother. She looked up to her parents for advice and assistance.

_Someday,_ Katara thought to herself, _someday she'll know what a difference she made to me._

_In my daughter's eyes,  
I am a hero.__  
I am strong and wise and I know no fear._

_But the truth is plain to see  
She was sent to rescue me  
I see who I wanna be  
In my daughter's eyes  
_

Kya played out in the courtyard with her friends, the young daughters and sons of the delegates. The delegates were at the temple from everywhere in the world. There were delegates from the Fire Nation, the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, and the Air Nomads.

_  
In my daughter's eyes  
Everyone is equal  
Darkness turns to light  
And the world is at peace.  
This miracle God gave to me  
Gives me strength when I am weak  
I find reason to believe_

_In my daughter's eyes  
_

"Kya, time for dinner," Katara called. By now, Kya knew that she was going to be presented at tonight's dinner. She would be representing her father, the Avatar, and she had to be dressed appropriately. She skipped inside and took Katara's hand, looking up at her. Katara led her to Suki, who would be getting Kya ready for the dinner.

_  
And when she wraps her hand around my finger  
How it puts a smile in my heart  
Everything becomes a little clearer  
I realize what life is all about  
Is hanging on when your heart has had enough  
Is giving more when you feel like giving up  
I've seen the light  
In my daughter's eyes  
_

Kya walked into the stateroom wearing a beautiful gown. She smiled at the adults with all her seven-year-old innocence. She looked right at her mother and smiled. Their eyes locked for just a second, and Katara smiled back.

_  
In my daughter's eyes  
I can see the future  
A reflection of who I am  
And what will be  
And though she'll grow and someday leave  
Maybe raise a family  
When I'm gone I hope you'll see  
How happy she made me  
And I'll be there  
In my daughter's eyes_


	3. Worries

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Avatar.

Kya played with 6-year-old Ursa, a young firebender. She played with 5-year-old Haru. He was not a bender, but he was a warrior in his heart. The other children hailed from all over the world, ranging in age from three to ten, with a few older teenagers watching over them.

Katara watched from a room that overlooked the courtyard. She stood alone at the window until Suki came over to her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, gazing at the kids in the courtyard until she spotted her son Haru. She looked at Kya, standing with Ursa and Koko, laughing and having fun.

"What do you mean?" Katara replied with a fake smile plastered on her face. She knew it wouldn't fool Suki, though. After spending almost three months with the Gaang, just before Katara and Aang were married, she could tell when Katara was worried. Suki just looked at Katara for a moment, letting Katara decide whether to tell her. Katara sighed.

"I'm worried about Aang."

"That's not what you're worried about, and you know it." Toph said from behind her.

"Huh?"

"I can tell when you're lying, and that was definitely a lie." Katara sighed. Toph could see right through her. And she wasn't afraid to show it. "You're worried about Kya, aren't you," she said, this time much quieter.

"Yeah," Katara admitted. "She doesn't get to play with other girls her age because she lives up here. She doesn't seem to mind, but she does seem much happier when we're visiting places like Kyoshi Island or Ba Sing Se. I tried to talk to Aang about having another home, like a summer home, but he can't bear to live anywhere else. I don't want Kya to grow up without other girls around her. I want her to grow up like a normal little girl. When she becomes a teenager, I want her to have sleepovers and pillow fights with other girls and stay out late. I want her to have her first crush when she's twelve, not twenty. But she can't have a normal child life because she's the Avatar's daughter. I know it's a lot to ask for, but she deserves it..." Katara trailed off. Suki and Toph looked at each other, taking it in. Then Toph lit up.

"What if we brought the other girls here?"

"Huh?" Suki asked, confused.

"We could open a boarding school. A small one, of course."

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Suki agreed.

"I think we should clear this with Aang before we get ahead of ourselves," Katara pointed out.

"I think Katara's right. After all, he would have to run it."

Suddenly, the doors opened. The delegates walked out. Aang and Zuko were smiling. Katara leaned towards Suki.

"Something's not right."

"What do you mean? Even _Zuko_ is smiling."

"Precisely."


	4. Boarding school

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Avatar. I also apologize profusely as I don't own an excuse for not updating, either.

They ate dinner as Aang and Zuko told them all the progress from the day. Zuko was all smiles, and he had every right to be. The fire nation would not be punished for all the backlash from the war. Katara sat proudly beside her husband, listening as he told them of treaties, agreements, and compromises.

_What happened to the little boy that hated politics?_ Katara thought to herself. Aang looked at her, and she snapped back to reality.

"So what were you ladies doing all day?" he asked her. She glanced over at Suki, catching her eye. _Please?_ she begged silently, still nervous in front of crowds.

"Well, while you boys had your meetings, we came up with a brilliant idea. We should open a boarding school, right here. It would be great for Kya's generation, so they don't start another war. Whadya say?"

Aang glanced at Katara. "Was this your idea?"

"Actually, no, it was Toph's. But I completely agree," she stated obviously.

He glanced at Zuko. "Ursa, of course, would attend?" Aang presumed, referring to Zuko and Mai's daughter.

"Perhaps..." Zuko mulled it over. Mai gently placed her hand on his. That one touch made up his mind. "Well alright," he conceded, turning his palm upwards until he held Mai's hand in his. And with that, it was decided.

Later that evening, Katara, Toph, Suki, and Mai sat around the fire.

"How do you do it?" Katara asked Mai.

"Do what?"

"Oh, come on. You've got Zuko wrapped around your finger."

"It's probably because she nearly killed him once or twice when we were kids. I doubt he's forgotten that," Ty Lee responded, giggling.

"Or because we had the same idea. We were going to try something similar because we didn't want Ursa to grow up a spoiled brat."

"Like Azula?" Suki interrupted.

"Exactly. The last thing this world needs is another Azula."


	5. Eavesdropping and Tricks

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Avatar.

"I wonder what they're talking about." Kya whispered to Ursa from behind the doorway.

"I don't know. It's probably boring grown-up stuff." Ursa replied plainly. They heard the women laugh.

"It doesn't _sound_ boring," Kya pointed out.

"Oh well, it's probably not important."

"Well, I'm gonna go find out," Kya said, determined to learn what the grown-ups were discussing.

"Kya! You can't! We're supposed to be in bed, remember?"

"I know that. Don't worry they won't see us. Now come on," Kya insisted.

"This is _not_ a good idea," Ursa complained, but she followed Kya anyway. The two girls tiptoed around the doorway. Kya led the way, since she was older, then motioned for Ursa to follow when the coast was clear. They thought they went undetected. Of course, neither one knew about Toph's true eyes.

* * *

Toph smiled. Kya and Ursa are here, she mouthed to the others without breaking the conversation. The ladies, all experts in discretion and secrets, continued with their conversation. Each nodded in her turn, showing she received the message.

A plan formed in Katara's mind. "I think we should go check on Kya and Ursa," she mentioned, slightly louder than she had been.

"Yeah," Mai agreed. "I promised Ursa that I had a surprise for her in the morning, so she's probably not getting any sleep."

"I told Kya the same thing!"

"Why didn't you just tell them about the boarding school?" Suki asked, keeping up the volume of the conversation. Upon hearing this, the little girls stared at each other, eyes wide with shock, jaws dropped.

"We're going to tell them first thing in the morning," Katara responded.

"If they're asleep. Knowing them, they probably stayed up talking about the surprises," Mai said pointedly.

"Well, let's go see," Katara led. By this point, the little girls were sprinting back to Kya's room, which she was sharing with Ursa.

"They can't make us go," Kya said as they ran, trying to be brave. Instead, it sounded skeptical. "Can they?"

"I don't know, but they're gonna catch us! Come on, Kya, we gotta get in there!" Ursa pointed to the door at the far end of the hall.

"Grab onto me!" Ursa did as she was told, and Kya did a trick her dad the Avatar had taught her. Blowing air behind them, she and Ursa made it to the door in record time. The two girls jumped into the beds and turned out the lights just as Katara and Mai knocked on the doors. They lay completely silent until they knew their mothers had left.

Kya sighed. "That was close." Ursa looked through the darkness at her best friend.

"Next time you want to eavesdrop on the grown-ups, _don't bring me_."


	6. The News

**Author's Note:** hey all! this is it for this story-I haven't gotten much response from it, so I'm posting this final chapter. but don't fear-more stories are definitely on the way. This scene just seemed like a perfect spot to end it. Thank you for reading it, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Avatar. I probably won't ever own Avatar. I'll let you know if I get it for my birthday, OK?

Early the next morning, Kya awoke to the sound of a snoring Ursa. The younger girl wasn't far behind.

"It's dark in here," Ursa declared, opening her eyes.

"Yeah, you wanna turn on the light?"

"Ok," Ursa agreed. She flicked her finger, shooting fire into the little light between the beds. The two girls sat upright in their beds, legs crossed.

"What do you think the grown-ups were talking about last night?" Kya brought up the subject from the previous night.

"I don't know, but I hope they were joking. I don't want to go away," Ursa whispered.

"Me either," Kya agreed whole-heartedly. They heard a knock at the door, and their eyes locked.

"Uhh...come in," Kya said, working hard to keep her voice steady, worried that they were in trouble from the previous night. 16-year-old Koko poked her head in the door.

"Good morning, ladies. Your moms want you to come to breakfast," she paused before relaying the rest of her message. "They have a surprise for all of us," Koko noticed the scared look on their faces. "Do you want to come with me to wake everyone up?" she asked, hoping to ease the tension. The two little girls nodded. "Then let's go!"

The three young ladies made the rounds of the rooms. Many of the old monk's chambers had been turned into makeshift guest quarters for the delegates and their families. The children of the delegates all shared rooms down one long hallway, making it easy to sneak around among themselves. The older teens scolded them lightly when they were caught, but that was a rare occurrence.

As they woke the other children, a crowd gathered. By the end, all of the children woke the last one, a 17-year-old girl who promised revenge on Koko. Koko just smiled innocently as they herded the children down to the stateroom, where a second table had been erected for the momentous breakfast.

"Go find your seats, kids," Koko and the other older teens announced, looking for their own as the younger ones sped off. They were running and pointing like they were in the toy room.

Soon enough, they were all seated. The wide doors on the other wall opened, revealing the delegates-all the moms and dads of the little kids. They looked very pleased. Aang walked in last, holding Katara's hand. They were preceded by Sokka and Suki, with Mai and Zuko between the other two couples.

"Before we eat," Aang began once they were all seated, "Katara, Mai, and Suki would like to say something." He gestured to the women standing directly behind him. They stepped forward.

"We, the wives of the delegates, would like to announce the opening of a new school," Katara began.

"A boarding school for all the children here, so they can have fun with other kids," Suki added.

"And learn to not blow up the world," Mai said, dampening the mood.

Kya and Ursa looked at each other across the table. They were nervous, and each was thinking the same thing. _Where are they sending us?_ Luckily, they didn't have to wait long for the answer.

"Since we will need a large, open location, we have decided to set the school here, at the Southern Air Temple, at least for now," Katara continued. Kya breathed an audible sigh of relief, but Ursa was still a little nervous.

"We will, of course, have the best teachers around for the children, and parents of the youngest children may be asked to stay for a semester so the children can get used to being away from home," Suki said. This time, it was Ursa's turn to sigh.

"Future peace-delegations will be held in other locations, and will not interrupt the school," Mai ended the speech in a technical, slightly depressed voice. Then again, it _was_ Mai.

"So, what do you think Kya?" Katara asked her daughter as she returned to the table and the food came out.

"I think it's an _amazing_ idea!" Kya exclaimed. Katara laughed at her daughter's response.

"Me too," she smiled and placed a small kiss on Kya's head. "Me too."

* * *

"I can't believe you're leaving," Kya said sadly a few days later.

"I know," Ursa replied to her best friend. The door opened.

"Come on, Ursa, your mom and dad are waiting outside," Koko informed her.

"Okay," Ursa pouted. She didn't want to leave her best friend.

"What's wrong? Don't you girls remember? Ursa will be back in like, two weeks for school!" Koko laughed at the sudden cheer that filled the room. The two girls had, in fact, forgotten this fact.

"Oh yeah!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"Secret handshake?" Ursa smiled.

"Secret handshake," Kya agreed. They looked at Koko.

"Oh, got it. Come out when you're done saying goodbye, okay Ursa?" Ursa nodded as Koko slipped out of the room. Ursa appeared a few moments later. Koko led Ursa to the front gate.

"We'll see you in a few weeks, right Mai?" Katara checked as Koko handed off the 6-year-old.

"We'll be here," Mai assured as they turned to leave. Aang walked over to Katara and placed a small kiss on her cheek.

"You did a great job, Katara." Suddenly, Kya ran out to the gate. Aang grabbed her by the waist, holding her back.

"Let me go! Ursa forgot her bracelet! I have to give it to her!" Katara smiled at her daughter's persistence.

"You'll give it to her in two weeks when she comes back. Right now, you are going inside and cleaning your room before dinner."

"Fine," Kya pouted. Aang laughed.

Katara watched the retreating form of her daughter and smiled. Aang put his arm around her waist. She leaned into him, trusting that this was how it was always meant to be.


End file.
